Prostate cancer: Signs, symptoms, treatments vary

Men age 55 to 69 should be screened regularly

September may be National Prostate Health Month, but medical experts stress that men need to be conscious of their prostate gland all year. Prostate cancer is the most common form of cancer among males.

The first question many men ask is, “What is the prostate gland?”

Palomar Health defines it as a male reproductive gland that produces a fluid found in semen. Located below the bladder and in front of the rectum, the prostate surrounds the urethra, or the tube that empties urine from the bladder.

The next question is, “What are the signs and symptoms of prostate cancer?

According to medical experts, there is no clear answer.

It was once believed that indicators of prostate cancer were increased frequency or difficulty urinating. While those symptoms are still taken into consideration, doctors have since learned that they don’t always appear in men with prostate cancer.

“Only about a third of those diagnosed have these symptoms,” said Dr. Eugene Rhee, chief of urologic surgery at San Diego Medical Center at Kaiser Permanente. He is also the president of the California Urilogical Association.

Dr. Ronald MacIntyre, a board-certified urologist with Sharp Memorial Hospital in San Diego, said other symptoms include bloody urination and bone pain. But these are signs of advanced prostate cancer.

“If it gets to that point, it could be the beginning of a painful death,” he said.

Prostate cancer must be caught before it reaches an advanced stage. To properly detect it, men between the ages of 55 and 69 should be screened regularly.

Those considered high risk should start their screenings at the age of 40. Someone is considered high risk if he has a history of prostate cancer in his family.

Black men have the highest prostate cancer rate, so a black male with a family history of the disease should absolutely be screened regularly.

“You should not do one without the other,” Rhee said. “The blood test isn’t adequate on its own, nor is the rectal exam. You need to combine the two.”

If prostate cancer is detected, a patient must then decide whether or not be treated.

Prostate cancer can be categorized as either low-, mid- or high-grade level. Unlike some other cancers, prostate cancer can be left untreated for years or possibly forever if it is considered low grade. While prostate cancer can be as aggressive as other forms of cancer, it typically is not. A low-grade level may take years before it turns aggressive.